The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for inspecting tires, wheels, and tire wheel assemblies. The system of the present invention may be used in any number of applications, including, without limitation, to inspect a tire wheel assembly (“TWA”) prior to shipment of the TWA to an automobile manufacturer.
A need exists for an improved way for suppliers of tire-wheel assemblies to inspect the TWAs prior to shipment to a customer. In the past, automobile manufacturers were very heavily vertically integrated. As such, they would manufacture as many parts as they deemed reasonable to control their supply chain, allowing them to insulate themselves from parts shortages and price volatility. While tires have traditionally been manufactured by dedicated suppliers, auto wheels were frequently manufactured by the auto manufacturer. Automobile manufacturers have largely moved away from shipping autos with simple steel wheels to shipping autos with higher performance magnesium and aluminum alloy wheels that are made by third party manufacturers. In addition, many automobile manufacturers today limit much of their manufacturing activities to final assembly of subassemblies and other large components. For example, in the past, automobile manufacturers would purchase tires and alloy wheels from third parties, and then mount and balance the tires onto the wheels in one of their own facilities to form a TWA. Today, frequently, a third party manufacturer will purchase tires and wheels from third party suppliers, mount and balance the tires, inspect the tire wheel assemblies, and then ship the TWAs to the automobile manufacturer in a manner that allows the automobile manufacturer to minimize warehousing (just-in-time delivery). This allows the automobile manufacturer to minimize the need to warehouse TWAs at its final assembly plants, and to obtain a higher level of quality TWA that has been previously inspected and is ready to install on an automobile.
Tires and wheels are marked with certain codes under standards promulgated by various groups. These codes include information such as the name of the tire or wheel manufacturer, dimensions, wear ratings, traction ratings, dates of manufacture, etc. The Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance, under the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which is a part of the US Department of Transportation (DOT), is responsible for working with manufacturers to ensure compliance with marking requirements. The codes used in marking tires and wheels are often referred to as DOT Codes, and include information such as tire speed rating, temperature rating, tread-wear rating, manufacturer, and the like. Under Federal regulations, the TWA manufacturer is required to record the DOT Codes of all tires and wheels to be used for tracking purposes and to implement safety recalls
The ability to automate the collection of DOT Codes from tires and wheels, and to determine whether a tire bead is properly seated on a wheel rim as part of the TWA assembly process, is desirable for tire manufacturers, wheel manufacturers, and TWA manufacturers. Therefore, there exists needs in the marketplace for systems and methods for automatically reading, storing, and manipulating DOT Codes from tires and wheels, and for inspecting TWAs for proper assembly, as such items are manufactured and shipped for tracking, audit, and quality control purposes.
These needs, and other needs, are addressed by one or more aspects of the present invention, although one or more aspects may not address every need.